The Pella City Council held two public hearings for two key infrastructure projects on the construction season calendar at their meeting Tuesday evening.

Two resolutions were on the agenda and approved contracts for Oost Poort Alley infrastructure upgrades and the 218th Avenue and Neil Drive Reconstruction project.

Council approved a contract with TK Concrete for $940,854 to reconstruct full sanitary sewer, storm sewer, underground stormwater, and paving improvements as well as downtown parking updates, and repaving with brick near the end of the project. A contract with Wicks Construction of Decorah for $1,282,721 was approved for complete conversion of gravel to hard surface for the road near the Shady Brook development, projected to cost $1.52 million.

The council approved the first reading of an ordinance for a zoning change on Main Street south of downtown Pella. Council is moving toward shifting 503 Main Street to a Planned Unit Development, with base zoning for Commercial Mixed Use, to allow construction of the “Pella Market,” a business similar to Gateway Market in Des Moines. A second reading will be held at the April 20th hearing.

Additionally, resolutions were approved to amend the original partnership with Wonder Spelen for the construction of a miracle playground at Kiwanis Park–which will allow for additional upgrades this summer, and an associated change order, as well as the sale of loan notes to finance infrastructure projects, and an engineering services contract with HDR Engineering for the Pella Municipal Airport Weather Observing System upgrade.